A question for any teachers on the forum

martyh · 15-03-2011, 18:16

My son came home yesterday (just 15 yrs) a tad angry with his school.He has been doing some exams lately which count towards his final gcse next year .He was upset because he was given a C and was told he was 1 mark of getting a B .He asked for the paper back so he could read the examiners remarks and see exactly where he had gone wrong only to be told that it cost £10 to get the paper back .

My question is ,is this normal practice in other schools ? if it is why?

**Matt D** · 15-03-2011, 20:57

£10? Sounds like it's being treated as a DPA request?

**Paul M** · 15-03-2011, 21:07

Presumably it will involve someones time locating the paper and getting it back to the school ?

Caff · 15-03-2011, 21:08

I am a teacher, martyh, but in a primary school so, obviously, GCSE scoring isn't in my realms; however, it's not unusual to query a scoring on a piece of work. (Key Stage 2 exams are sent off for independent marking and paid for by the school).
Take on board that your query will add to someone's workload (in school or externally) and that formal marking is often offloaded to external agencies who will provide the school with a bill for the work.
So... £10 sounds reasonable to me and... Maggie J may well be around soon with more knowledge

martyh · 15-03-2011, 21:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

£10? Sounds like it's being treated as a DPA request?

i know ,we always used to get our test papers back in the good old days so we could see what we did wrong

---------- Post added at 21:11 ---------- Previous post was at 21:09 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caff

I am a teacher, martyh, but in a primary school so, obviously, GCSE scoring isn't in my realms; however, it's not unusual to query a scoring on a piece of work.
Take on board that your query will add to someone's workload (in school or external) and that formal marking is often offloaded to external agencies who will provide the school with a bill for the work.
So... £10 sounds reasonable to me and... Maggie J may well be around soon with more knowledge

Thanks Caff ,he doesn't want to query it just see where he went wrong so he can revise better before the final gcse next year

Caff · 15-03-2011, 21:14

Thanks Caff ,he doesn't want to query it just see where he went wrong so he can revise better before the final gcse next year[/QUOTE]

An admirable attitude

Get him to probe his tutor

**Maggy J** · 15-03-2011, 21:16

Hmm!
It's a new one on me..and someone may be being well less than economical with the truth but I'm not as in touch these days

Personally I'd offer to pay the £10 and see what happens.Either you call someone's bluff or you get the paper and your son can see what he did wrong.It might lead to you being able to challenge the result and if not it will set your son's mind at peace.

haydnwalker · 15-03-2011, 21:21

Id ask to see who the cheque for the £10 needs paying out to... If it's the school directly, I'd ask to speak to the head about it, if its the agency, I'd ask to see the paperwork to fill in to request the paper back.

I'm tending to agree with Maggy that someone's pulling your leg about the cost to dissuade you from getting the paper back.

martyh · 15-03-2011, 21:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul M

Presumably it will involve someones time locating the paper and getting it back to the school ?

Probably does but i have no idea how the system works .I know that external people do the marking so it probably is some form of admin fee.

My main issue with this is my son has absolutely no idea what he got right or wrong without paying £10 per test or assesment

---------- Post added at 21:29 ---------- Previous post was at 21:23 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Hmm!
It's a new one on me..and someone may be being well less than economical with the truth but I'm not as in touch these days

Personally I'd offer to pay the £10 and see what happens.Either you call someone's bluff or you get the paper and your son can see what he did wrong.It might lead to you being able to challenge the result and if not it will set your son's mind at peace.

My wife spoke to school today and it is policy ,apparently no-one gets the test papers back unless they pay £10 ,so no pupil will know which questions they got right or wrong unless they pay for the privilege.

Caff · 15-03-2011, 21:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyh

Probably does but i have no idea how the system works .I know that external people do the marking so it probably is some form of admin fee.

My main issue with this is my son has absolutely no idea what he got right or wrong without paying £10 per test or assesment

---------- Post added at 21:29 ---------- Previous post was at 21:23 ----------

My wife spoke to school today and it is policy ,apparently no-one gets the test papers back unless they pay £10 ,so no pupil will know which questions they got right or wrong unless they pay for the privilege.

You want the papers back to the school to see how the marking was scored and I guess you will have to stump up £10 and then discuss them with the tutor/Head of Department. They will both be well aware of the content of the test. They should both already have a good knowledge of your son's strong and weaker skills and indeed where the coverage of the curriculum might be weak.
What is the subject in question?

martyh · 15-03-2011, 21:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caff

You want the papers back to the school to see how the marking was scored and I guess you will have to stump up £10 and then discuss them with the tutor/Head of Department. They will both be well aware of the content of the test. They should both already have a good knowledge of your son's strong and weaker skills and indeed where the coverage of the curriculum might be weak.
What is the subject in question?

The subject was geography ,i have had a quick scout around various forums and apparently it is a common practice and has been for while know .You could also pay £44 (i read on one forum)to have remarks put on the papers and sent to you ,however if the depertment concerned request the remarks then the school pays but if the pupil/parents request then they pay

Caff · 15-03-2011, 21:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyh

The subject was geography ,i have had a quick scout around various forums and apparently it is a common practice and has been for while know .You could also pay £44 (i read on one forum)to have remarks put on the papers and sent to you ,however if the depertment concerned request the remarks then the school pays but if the pupil/parents request then they pay

To me - the sooner the feedback to the pupil the better - and the tutor et al might benefit from it too

prod the tutor and HoD and HT if necessary.

I'm screaming inside. "pay to have remarks" ??? glad I'm retiring next month.

martyh · 15-03-2011, 22:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caff

To me - the sooner the feedback to the pupil the better - and the tutor et al might benefit from it too

prod the tutor and HoD and HT if necessary.

I'm screaming inside. "pay to have remarks" ??? glad I'm retiring next month.

What do remarks cost?

A remark of a GCSE paper (note: paper, not subject!) will generally cost slightly over £40. An A-level module remark will cost around £40; a priority remark will cost around £45. Add £10 to each of these if you want a photocopy of your script returned to you. Some schools may add on additional admin fees. A standard remark must be requested within about a month of results day; a priority remark must be requested within a week of A-level results day. Note, though, that your remark fee will be refunded if the grade for the paper you are having remarked goes up.

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/After_results_day

Caff · 15-03-2011, 22:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyh

What do remarks cost?

A remark of a GCSE paper (note: paper, not subject!) will generally cost slightly over £40. An A-level module remark will cost around £40; a priority remark will cost around £45. Add £10 to each of these if you want a photocopy of your script returned to you. Some schools may add on additional admin fees. A standard remark must be requested within about a month of results day; a priority remark must be requested within a week of A-level results day. Note, though, that your remark fee will be refunded if the grade for the paper you are having remarked goes up.

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/After_results_day

Is that aimed at me?
I've never had a reason to query test results or the costing of getting them done - I was just trying to be helpful

martyh · 15-03-2011, 22:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caff

Is that aimed at me?
I've never had a reason to query test results or the costing of getting them done - I was just trying to be helpful

no just a bit of info taken from site and thanks for your help

I'm gobsmacked that getting feedback on a students gcse coursework is so expensive